[Liza]

I know Michaels Arts and Crafts is pretty much nationwide, not sure about AC MOORE. I'm in the northeast. Michaels actually has a better selection, but ACM isn't too bad. If you have never been, they carry some basics - Prismacolor, FaberCastell, Generals, Conte, Derwent, Sennelier, Remebrandt etc. Lots of sets, some loose prismacolor color pencils and the blister packs of most other brands. Lots of different Derwent sets: colored pencils of a few types, pastel pencils, drawing sets. The prices I thought were high on a few things, like the Sennelier pastels....as usual, you have to look around at prices. I don't shop online, so I am limited to these types of stores and one art supply store in my area that is sort of out of the way so I don't go there much..

I don't think this drawing supply sale means paper....but everything else, from markers to pastel sets to pencil sharpeners, all 40% off....I also don't know if this applies to the website.

I bought the $40 Derwent Sketch Kit which includes:

4 Water Soluble Graphite Pencils ( different degrees of softness or depth of wash)

2 regular wood graphite pencils (HB and 3B)

3 charcoal pencils (light, med, dark)

2 Drawing Pencils (mix of clay and graphite - terracotta, brown ochre -love these!!)

3 pastel pencils (Burnt Umber 54d and Chocolate 66B and Chinese White)

4 charcoal drawing sticks (soft, 2 med., hard)

4 graphite drawing sticks (soft, 2 med, hard)

1 kneaded eraser - (it's powder blue, never used a derwent eraser before)

1 pencil sharpener


The drawing pencils are awesome, I already have a few but not in the same colors in the kit. I love drawing with them. Actually, I have a few of the things in this kit, but it isn't like they won't all get used eventually.

In general, this is not a colorful kit, it is all neutrals.

I paid $25. Not bad for all that I got, in a nice tin case. I went to the store looking for the Derwent Graphitint colored graphite pencils, I think a set of 12 was $27, so with 40% off I could have gotten it for around $17....but they had no more left. Oh well - so I bought the sketch set. I had to buy something. And I really wanted the water soluble graphite pencils. They are pretty cool.

Also, did you all know that Michaels will honor an AC MOORE coupon? You will see them often in the Sunday paper, always 40% off.